Wagon-reach coupling.



' Patented July 3!, I900. G. W. WHITEHEAD.

WAGON REACH COUPLING. 7 Application file. Feb. 20, 1900.) (No Model.)

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UNIT D STATES PATENT OF CE,

GEORGE w. WHITEHEAD, or MONTEZUMA, IOWA, AssIcNoE or ONE-HALF TO FRANKBENDER,OF SAME PLACE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 654,773, dated July 31,1900.

Application filed February 20,1900. Serial No.'5,89 4. (No model.) 1

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that LGEORGE W.WH1TEHEAD, a citizen of the United States,residing at Montezuma, in the county of Poweshiek and State of Iowa,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wagon-ReachCouplers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates 'to an improvement in couplers for the reaches ofvehicle running-gears 5 and its object is to provide a simple anddurable coupler which will prevent the usual friction and consequentwear and mutilation of the reach at its point of con:

nection with the coupler and at the same time securely connect the partsof the runninggear.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination ofparts, as will hereinafter be more fully described, and specificallypointed out in the claim.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification,

and in which similar letters of reference indicate similar parts in allthe figures, in which Figure l is a plan View of a portion of;therunning-gear of a vehicle provided with my coupler. Fig. 2 is a verticalcentral longitudinal section of the same. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectionthrough lines o: m, Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the topand bottom locking-plates.

Referring to the drawings, the letter a indicates the reach of a vehiclerunning-gear, and Z2 b the hounds, which connect the axle with myimproved couplerr The coupler consists of a top plate a, from the bottomof which depend two parallel flanges cl cl a sufficient distance apartto permit the passage of the reach a. The sides of the said plate extendbeyond the flanges, forming wings as and a bottom plate f, secured tothe top plate by means of bolts 9 g, which pass through the extensions 6e of the top plate 0. The ends of the hounds b b are adapt? ed to besecured in the recesses formed in the sides of the coupler by theextensions of the top and bottom plates by means of the bolts .9 g. Thetop and bottom plates have formed centrally therein opposite rectangularorifices h h, preferably of a width equal to that between the flanges dd. Rectangular lockingplates 1 i are adapted to fit snugly in theorifices h h, bearin g against the upper and lower surfaces of thereach, and are held in the said orifices and clamped rigidly against thesaid rectangular locking-plates, which are clamped against the upper andlower surface thereof I and which fit snugly in the orifices formed inthe top and bottom plates of the coupler, and also that the reach issecurely held in its adjusted position by means of the screw-bolt, and,further, it is prevented from movement against the said bolt.

I am aware that castings have been formed with depending flanges for thepurpose of receiving the reach of a vehicle running-gear,

' and I do not claim such a construction broadly,

and, furthermore, such a construction is not essential to the operationof my invention and can be entirely omitted if desired.

What I claim is p The combination with the reach of a vehicle, of acoupler consisting of an upper plate provided with depending flanges anda rec tangular orifice, a lower plate having a rectangular orifice andbolted to the upper plate, rectangular locking-plates snugly fitting inthe said orifices and adapted to be rigidly secured to the said reachpassing therebetween, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE W. 'WHITEHEAD. Witnesses:

E. E. MARTIN, J. W. MARTIN.

